Former Assam Chief Minister and veteran Congress leader,Tarun Gogoi today termed the BJP the most corrupt party in the country given the way the saffron party spent so much money in panchayat election in the state including heavy expenditure for engaging helicopters in the electioneering.
“The BJP came to power shouting slogans against corruption indulged in by the previous Congress government in the state and its government in Assam often trumpets its ‘zero tolerance’ to corruption. However, could such a party spend so generously for campaigning in panchayat election. It is the most corrupt party in the country,“ Gogoi said talking to reporters at his official residence in Dispur here.
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Gogoi questioned why the BJP which had alleged rampant corruption during the previous Congress regime in the state, has failed to bring specific charges of corruption against any of the then Congress legislators so far.
Referring to the BJP’s allegation that there was secret understanding among the Congress, AIUDF and the AGP, Gogoi accused the BJP of having covert understanding with the AIUDF. “The BJP is there in the state because of the presence of AIUDF and vice versa,” Gogoi said.
The former Chief Minister termed baseless the allegation made by the BJP leader and minister Chandra Mohan Patowary that the regional AGP had taken Rs 20 crore from Congress before the Assembly election of 2011. “I will quit public life and politics , if Chandra Mohan Patowary can prove that I gave money to the AGP. Otherwise he should quit politics. I am not aware if their leader Himanta Bishwa Sarma (then a Congress leader) had given money to the AGP,” Gogoi said.
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Gogoi today expressed his reservation over naming Bogibeel Bridge over Brahmaputra after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He said foundation of Bogibeel Bridge was laid way back in 1997 and the construction was started only in 2002 by the then Government in the Centre headed by Vajpayee following repeated requests from then Congress government in Assam,” Gogoi said.
Gogoi today opposed the Centre’s decision to handover the Lokapriya Gopinath Bardoloi International Airport in Guwahati to a private operator and lambasted the incumbent BJP government in the Centre for resorting to rampant privatization of public property and institutions in the country.